


Lacking Grace

by animenutcase



Series: The Misadventures of the Family Known As The Shepherds [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 07:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1679441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animenutcase/pseuds/animenutcase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When people say Cynthia's just like her mother, Severa has to laugh.</p><p>(Companion to Lacking Wit)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lacking Grace

Cynthia's father, Frederick, was Chrom's lieutenant and one of the most dignified people Severa had ever met. It was almost laughable how little Cynthia took after him. But what truly baffled Severa was how people said that Cynthia was just like her mother.

Cynthia and Sumia both tripped a lot, certainly, but as far as Severa was concerned, the similarities ended there.

Sumia was clumsy in everyday interactions, but when she took to the air, she was competent, even graceful. Cynthia could barely strike a Risen without stumbling and nearly falling off her mount. Sumia was somewhat airheaded, but she was very well-read. Cynthia was just a ditz with an overactive imagination.

Perhaps the most striking thing about Sumia was the fact that she was somehow the best friend of Severa's mother. Severa's smart, talented, _perfect_ mother. One of the things that Severa resented the most about her mother was how apparently flawless she was, and she knew that she wasn't the only one who felt that way. She'd heard more than one Pegasus Knight grumbling about how perfect she was and how they were sure that Cordelia was looking down on them. They shut their mouths when they realized that Severa was listening, but Severa didn't blame them for feeling that way at all. Cordelia was stern and seldom allowed anyone a moment of rest. She couldn't understand how Sumia was able to put up with it.

That was another strike against Cynthia, who took Cordelia's strictness in stride and did what she was told.

Sumia was talented, certainly, but she was no genius. All of her skills came from years of hard work. That was something that Severa privately respected. Sumia was well-aware of her flaws, but worked hard to overcome or compensate for them. Not only that, but she even managed to find time to spend with Cynthia, who couldn't have been very easy to deal with. Severa had to admit that that was probably part of the reason she had started to dislike Cynthia when they were children. Severa's mother barely had time for her, and when she did, they always ended up arguing. Cynthia's mother had noticed how tense things had been between them, and she often looked after her when Severa's parents could not. Severa liked it when Sumia read stories to her so she could go to sleep. Sumia had a nice voice. She wasn't as good at singing as say, Inigo's mother, but she could carry a tune on a lullaby quite nicely. Admittedly, that led to _more_ tension between Severa and Cynthia, who felt that Severa was trying to take her mother away.

In the end, though, it was a Risen wielding a bow that took Cynthia's mother away, and Severa's as well. That was probably the only time Cynthia and Severa could stand to be around each other for very long. They spent a long night together, just hugging and crying, missing their mothers.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to make them stop arguing. Just a couple years later, the two of them had another fight while Inigo tried to mediate. It was over something stupid, and Severa couldn't even remember what it was about, but they'd gotten so into it that they didn't notice the Risen until Severa's father had yelled. He put himself between them, even though his tome was nearly broken. In the end, the Risen's magic was stronger than his, and his life was snuffed out. His last words were a request for the children to run. 

Cynthia's father scooped them up while Inigo's parents finished it off.

When they were safe, Severa had punched Cynthia right in the face. She knew in her heart that it was at least partially her fault that they hadn't noticed the Risen until it was too late, but at that point she was beyond caring. Cynthia still had her father, but Severa didn't have anyone anymore. Surprisingly, Cynthia just stood there and took it. It wasn't until Inigo restrained her that the beat down ceased.

The two of them went out of their way to avoid each other from that point on. The most Severa did was stay by Cynthia's room when her father died, never making her presence known. It wasn't until they'd all gathered together in the past that they really interacted again.

And sure enough, they got along as well their friends had come to expect from them, which is to say not at all.

There were a lot of things that bothered Severa in the past. In addition to Cynthia, there was her mother's past self, who was quite eager to get to know her. Severa could only scoff to herself as she wondered where that side of Cordelia was when she was actually raising her. Not only that, but her father had put his foot down and ordered her to do chores around camp. Pretty ballsy for a guy who was both younger than her and hadn't even fathered her yet.

One afternoon, Sumia tapped her on the shoulder.

"Would you like to come into town to pick up some ingredients with me?" She gave her a gentle smile. "I'd like to make a pie for your father's birthday."  
"I didn't know you and my father were so close." Severa frowned at her.  
"Perhaps Ricken and I aren't very close..." Sumia chuckled sheepishly. "But Cordelia is like family to me, so that makes him family, too."

Sumia's eyes widened.

"Oh, and you're family too, of course!"

For a moment, the two simply walked in silence.

"You were like this in the future, too." Severa said quietly.  
"Hmm?" Sumia raised an eyebrow at her curiously.  
"You were always looking out for everyone, especially the kids."  
"I see." Sumia laughed gently.  
"To be honest, you were a better mother to me than my own mother."

Sumia stopped in her tracks so abruptly that she fell over.

When Severa helped her up, she gave her a very stern look.

"Maybe we should have this discussion in private."

After they picked up the supplies they needed, the two of them went back to prepare the pie.

"Why don't you tell me what I was like in the future?" Sumia asked calmly.

Severa told her how she was always looking out for her in place of Cordelia and how that contributed to her antagonistic relationship with Cynthia.

"I see." Sumia averted her eyes. "It sounds like you and Cynthia have been through a lot."

Severa said nothing.

"But Severa, I think you might be mistaken about your mother." Sumia explained. "Cordelia isn't as perfect as you think she might be."  
"Is that so?" Severa gave her a cynical look.  
"She's one of the hardest workers I've ever met. That's part of the reason why she's so stern with the other Pegasus Knights."  
"What's that got to do with her not being perfect?"

Sumia got a mischievous smile on her face.

"Did your mother ever tell you why she became a Pegasus Knight in the first place?"  
"I think that's enough."

Severa looked up to see Cordelia walking in with a odd look on her face. Sumia mouthed "I'll tell you later" as Cordelia explained that she hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but overheard Sumia about to tell Severa something she did _not_ need to hear.

After the birthday celebration, Severa climbed into bed thinking of what Sumia had told her. She'd never known how playful Sumia could be. Then again, the war wasn't as bad in the current time period, so perhaps that was why. Maybe there a lot of things that Sumia and Cordelia couldn't do alone that the other could? She wondered if there weren't things that Cynthia and she could do to help each other improve?

She shook her head as she turned on her side. Cynthia had more in common with her mother than Severa thought, but she was still far too ditzy. Still, it might be worth _trying_ to get along better.

Maybe.


End file.
